WA to fight the Federal Government’s IR laws

The Gallop Government will today lodge its High Court challenge to John Howard's industrial relations laws.

Employment Protection minister John Kobelke said the Government would fight for the right to continue resolving industrial relations matters for Western Australians and not have Canberra rule from the east.

"What John Howard wants to do is destroy 100 years of co-operative industrial relations in WA that has been based on conciliation and arbitration," Mr Kobelke said.

"What this is all about is trampling the States and wiping out a system that has delivered Western Australians a booming economy, low unemployment and workplaces which are fair and equitable.

"The Gallop Government will do whatever it can to oppose this Canberra grab for IR power, including specialist laws to help preserve the rights and conditions of State workers."

Mr Kobelke said John Howard was skewing the industrial relations system to give employers the whip hand and take away any right of appeal by employees.

"We have already seen the result of these laws under the Court-Kierath government when workers' pay was cut and employees had to out-bid each other for less pay to get a job," he said.

"Workers in WA were left $50 a week worse off than those doing the same job in other States."